


Night and Shadow

by waitinginthepen



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fairy Tales, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-11
Updated: 2013-02-11
Packaged: 2017-11-28 23:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitinginthepen/pseuds/waitinginthepen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Night had never suffered Shadow's presence; whenever his big brother appeared, Shadow had to yield and creep into man's houses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night and Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Written during a creative writing workshop. We took a walk to a small graveyeard outside the village where we were staying. It was an incredibly inspiring place to write, not at all spooky or creepy, but actually warm and sunny and really peaceful. So that's where this story came into being. 
> 
> Originally written in German, so the English version is a bit clunky in places

The road was long and dusty, but it glid on and on beneath him, like a long band. When the road came to an end he followed the paths of the animals, when those broke off there was gravelstone and finally grassland. When he met men he would walk with them. They did not deign to look at him because they never saw anything they didn't want to. They saw through him, saw things that were truly important to them. He reminded them that Night, his big brother, would always follow Day. Then, they would take refuge in their houses and huts, where they would twitch fearfully at every noise and howl outside.

Shadow did not particularly like his big brother either, because he would not suffer Shadow's presence. Whenever Night appeared, Shadow had to yield and creep into man's houses. He preferred his sister Day, who, though older than him, never belittled him.

Shadow glid through the gate by the road, made his way over blades of grass and flowers and laid his walking staff beside a tree. As he settled down on the meadow, he turned to face the sun and seemed to grow in size.

He liked man's graveyeards, but he never visited them at night, as men believed, for that was the time of his solemn brother. It was at the warmest time of noon, that Shadow preferred to settle down next to one gravestone or another, and to keep the dead company.

He knew them all. He had accompanied them, always, no matter what they saw, day after day. But now, deep in the earth, where the big brother's firm hand held them, they were alone.  
Shadow often spoke to them. It didn't matter that they never answered, they'd never done that before, either. He sighed. At some point, he would have to surrender them all to his brother.

Soon, the time would come, when men would retreat to their little nooks and crannies, to wait for morning while Night walked the world with long strides. At best, Shadow could hope to watch Night's path from the campfires, just as weary and suspicious as the mortals.

But as Day retreated and Shadow, too, was just about to pick up his staff, he froze in place. Something glinted in the settling dark, around which a small group of men had gathered.

A second light joined the first, and then a third, and then another. In fascination, Shadow stepped closer and contemplated this new something: Fire, protected behind glass, that invited him to linger.

"Do you see what they have done?" a deep voice said behind him and shadow flickered, but did not turn around. "Do you see what they have done, little brother? They place this thing in the world and call it lantern. They do it to drive me away, so that I don't get too close."

Shadow thought he heard dejection in Night's voice, but his brother was always so reserved, he could not be sure.

"They're afraid of you," he said and added with a touch of bitterness: "And me they don't like much, either."

"Hm" Night hummed darkly and and together with Shadow he stared at the small circle of light.

It was then, that Shadow's gaze fell on two small boys, who peeked out from behind the glass panes of a window. With a sideward glance towards his brother, Shadow painted figures onto the next house wall with bold strokes and let them dance in the light of the flame. At first, the children's eyes only grew wider, until they were as big and deep as mountain lakes, but then they squealed with joy and tried to grasp the shapes with outstretched hands.

Amazed, Shadow found it almost impossible to look away, but eventually he turned to face his brother again.

"Maybe," he offered "they won't hate us forever," but Night only stared at him, uncomprehending. Shadow was about to leave, when Night finally spoke to him again:

"Come," he said, "walk with me, brother."


End file.
